IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to incomplete nexus opinions in the VA examinations. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for IBS and TDIU are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should be provided with a new VA examination to assess her IBS and PTSD, as well as additional records from the NPRC for mental health treatment. The Veteran is also asked to provide any private psychiatric treatment records she may have.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids caused or aggravated his GI disability.

The Board denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia as they are not linked to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's service-connected digestive disability (GERD, IBS, and status post-cholecystectomy) has been awarded a 100% rating since the claim period.

The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal disabilities, including ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and diverticulitis, due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune during military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed as the issues were withdrawn during a personal hearing.,Issues such as right knee disorder, left knee disorder, wrist carpal tunnel syndromes, upper and lower extremity neuropathies, nerve spasms in back, foot nerve spasms, fatigue, PTSD, irritable bowel syndrome, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and TDIU have all been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals during a personal hearing.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions and further development is required.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in a combined rating of 100 percent, but none alone render him unemployable. Therefore, his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's stomach ulcers, diverticulosis, and GERD were not found to be related to his military service. However, he was granted service connection for IBS, which is a qualifying chronic disability under the Persian Gulf presumption.

The Veteran's IBS was granted a 30 percent rating from June 23, 2010 to February 13, 2019. The Board found that the symptoms of severe IBS with alternating diarrhea and constipation were consistent since 2010.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including low back and right knee conditions, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disability, gastrointestinal disability (claimed as irritable bowel disease and Crohn's disease), diabetes mellitus type II, and narcolepsy. The claims were remanded for further development regarding a respiratory disability and varicose veins.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for PTSD and IBS as they were not fully adjudicated in the previous decisions. The Veteran will need to provide VA treatment records from June 2020 onwards, and a new VA examination is required to determine the current severity of his service-connected IBS.

The Veteran's right foot plantar fasciitis, status post 5th metatarsal fracture, is currently rated at 10 percent prior to October 31, 2019 and 10 percent thereafter.,The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome was granted a 30 percent rating effective from the date of his VA examination in October 31, 2019. A 10 percent rating is assigned for this condition prior to that date.

The Veteran's 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome from December 1, 2019 to February 8, 2020 is restored due to the inadequate findings of a VA contract examiner.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and therefore service connection is denied. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for IBS, finding that it is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and affective disorder have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a TDIU rating effective October 19, 2012.

The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia and IBS is granted a higher initial rating of 60 percent. The ratings for low back strain, asthma, right shoulder tendonitis, and left shoulder tendonitis are denied.